Advances in breast imaging

Many exciting developments are occurring in breast imaging. Some, such as d igital mammography, have the potential to change the field radically, while others will have effects that are more subtle but are equally important. D igital mammography holds the promise of telemammography and computer-aided diagnosis. Mammoscintigraphy may be helpful in identifying drug-resistant t umors before therapy. There is renewed interest in evaluating ultrasound as a potential adjunctive screening tool in women with radiographically dense breasts. Finally, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be used more extensively in monitoring tumor response to primary chemotherapy and in the preoperative assessment of patients being considered for breast conservation therapy.